Happiness coaches are becoming increasingly popular as more and more people seek out professional guidance on how to lead a happier life. Despite the growing trend towards seeking happiness coaching, there are still a number of misconceptions surrounding the profession.
From assumptions that happiness coaches are somehow different and made out of magic. In this article, we’ll be exploring five of the most common misconceptions I regularly hear about happiness coaches so you can get to the truth of the matter.
1. We are always smiling
Being a happiness coach doesn’t mean we’re always 10 out of 10 happy. I prefer to maintain a stable sense of happiness around 7-8 out of 10 points—which is much more sustainable than striving to be as happy as possible all the time.
That said, 10 out of 10 happiness is possible, but it requires a lot of effort—even for those of us who are considered to be very happy. Besides, 7-8 out of 10 is already pretty great compared to most people who struggle with unhappiness.
In other words, I’m not always smiling, jumping around, or acting delirious. My happiness comes from within, and I sometimes show it to the external world, but mostly I just maintain a high level of positivity without displaying it.
2. We can never say anything negative
It is possible to say something negative without being negative. It is a difficult skill to cultivate, but virtually anybody can develop it. I call this skill being negative without suffering. After all, for example, I do need to express some negative opinions on a regular basis, such as when I need to say that one of my clients is doing something wrong. However, while saying these negatively-framed words, I don’t become negative as a human being. I just use negatively-framed words. And this is the difference that makes all the difference.
In my profession, I have met many people who say they are positive, yet their words or body language says otherwise. I’m often skeptical of such claims. After all, one needs to have a high level of emotional control to do so, and I don’t think that just about anyone can do it. Again, the difference that makes all the difference is found on the level of emotions, not words, so it is never enough to say that we are positive. We also need to feel positive, even if we are using negative words.
3. We can never experience negative emotions
Similarly to the previous point, negativity can affect happiness coaches, but we are much better equipped to deal with such events. After all, all sorts of unpleasant things are happening in the world today, so it is virtually impossible to escape negative events, no matter who we are or how much we try to do so.
I regularly compare this to being a black belt in jujitsu of emotional intelligence. As such, when small or intermediate difficulty problems come my way, we deal with them easily. And even in emotionally challenging circumstances, we know how to deal with these situations, even though we might struggle a bit.
4. We are inhuman
So far, we have made astonishing claims such as that happy coaches can experience negativity without suffering. This may lead to the idea that “happiness isn’t for me” or that happiness coaches are somehow different and inhuman.
But this isn’t true. I didn’t know these skills before, but I have now learned them. Just as anyone can learn how to play the piano, anyone can learn how to be happy. If you want to learn these skills, contact me, and, with limited coaching, I can teach you to do the same.
5. We are of a certain type (looks, background, etc.)
Some people believe that happiness is something that you are born with and that it is not something that can be acquired. They may think that happiness is only for those who have certain genes or have been born into a wealthy family. They may also believe that happiness is a matter of luck and that it is inaccessible to the general public.
However, I do not believe that I am special. As you may know from my background, I was not born into a wealthy family and my family had plenty of issues that made me depressed at an early age. I’m not particularly handsome or smarter than average. Most people would not think that I am a happiness coach if they saw me. I do not go around with a permanent smile on my face, nor do I look any different from anyone else.
What I am trying to say is that, if I can learn the skills necessary to become happy, then so can you. You can also be happy today and forever. You just need to learn a few skills, which I can teach you in my one-on-one coaching or video courses. So, why wait any longer? Don’t you want to be happy?
